their own houses well," 1 Tim. iii. 12. And can any man be so absurd
as to think that a master of a family hath not a proper authoritative
rule over his own children and family, but rules them only by doctrine
and example?

2. Thus learned divines[67] and accurate Grecians[68] use the word to
denote authority: so that the Holy Ghost here calling them ruling
elders, implies they are vested with rule: and those that deny this
place to hold out two sorts of elders, yet confess it holds out two
sorts of acts, ruling and preaching.

3. These ruling elders are here approved of God in their rule; and that
two ways, viz: 1. In that God's Spirit here commends their ruling, being
duly discharged, _ruling well, excellently_, &c. Did no rule in the
Church belong to them for matter, God would never command or approve
them for the matter. He cannot be accounted with God to do any thing
well, that hath no right to do it at all. 2. In that God's Spirit here
commands their well ruling to be honorably rewarded. _Let them be
counted worthy of double honor:_ or, _Let them be dignified with double
honor_. Here is not only reward, but an eminent reward appointed them,
and that urged from Scripture, ver. 18. Where God thus appoints rewards,
he approves that for which he rewards; and what God thus approves is of
divine right. See part 1, chap. V.

4. Yet, finally, These elders, vested with rule in the Church, and
divinely approved in their rule, are distinct from all them that labor
in the word and doctrine. This may thus he evidenced from the text, as
some[69] have well observed: For, 1. Here is a general, under which the
several kinds of officers here spoken of are comprehended, _elders_; all
here mentioned are elders. 2. Here are two distinct kinds of elders,
viz: _those that rule well_, there is one kind; and _they that labor in
the word_ (as the pastors) _and doctrine_, (as the doctors and
teachers,) here is the other kind. 3. Here are two participles
expressing these two species or kinds of elders--_ruling_, and
_laboring_: those only rule, that is all their work, and therefore
here are called ruling elders; not because _they_ alone rule, but
because their only work is to rule: but these not only rule, but, over
and besides, _they_ labor in the word and doctrine. 4. Here are two
distinct articles distinctly annexed to these two participles--_they
that rule; they that labor_. 5. Finally, here is an eminent disjunctive
particle set betw